Corresponding to the north-south axis of the New Museum on level 0, the archaeological promenade, the architectonic and thematic backbone of the Museum Island, is being developed. The sequence of rooms is to lead from the Old Museum via the new Museum to the Pergamon- and the Bode Museum presenting themes of multidisciplinary interest. The sequence of rooms with the themes: Time and History (0.01), God and Gods (0.04), the Netherworld and Eternity (0.09), Travel to the Netherworld (0.12), and World Order (0.13), are already a central part of this concept to which ten different departments of the state museums have contributed. The archaeological promenade intends to motivate visits to the other museums which have contributed to the exhibition and to inspire and stimulate visitors to consider their own beliefs concerning the fundamental question of our existence.

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Room 0.00: Time and history

A central theme of the historical museum is presented here: time and history. a kings list and genealogy of a priests family from Egypt, astronomical cuneiform texts, a roman celestial globe and texts to the dating systems of ancient cultures display the transcultural approach of the archaeological promenade.

Mythological Papyrus: Adoration of Re in the West in 21 Forms of the Sun God and Invocation

New Kingdom, Dynasty 20, 12th century BCPapyrusH 24 cm, L 159 cmInv.-No. P 3153It is a particularity of Egyptian religion to visualise in various ways, and thereby make comprehensible, the invisible. The row of 21 gods on this papyrus presents a shortened version of the Litany of the Sun, normally consisting of 74 evocation which praise the sungod Re during his descent in the evening, his travels through the and his rising in the morning from underworld. Re, during his travels, takes on different forms in order to document his various functions: The bound prisoners show Re in his function as punisher, the mummy shaped figure with the scarab as a head shows the form of the god at the beginning of the day. The owner of the Papyrus was a Theben priest called Nes-Amun-nesut-tauj who is shown kneeling at both ends of the roll.

'The Book of What is in the Underworld '(Amduat) for the Priest of Amun Amenophis (in cursive hieroglyphs) d

3rd Intermediate Period, Dyn. 21, 11th century BCPapyrus ThebesH 39 cm, L 236 cmInv.-No. P 3005The Amduat is a kind of map which helps the deceased to orient himself concerning the Netherworld which he will encounter after death. The places, the people and the dangers are named because 'he who knows will be transfigured'.
The deceased stand in front of the Osiris and asks to be admitted to the netherworld. The spells written on the papyrus helps him to be able to depart, in the form of the soul-bird, to this world and to return in the evening to travel with the sun through the netherworld. Through this circulation Osiris and all others are revitalized for the next morning

Book of the Dead of Neferini

Ptolemaic, 4th-1st century BCPapyrusAchmim H 27 cm, L 985 cmInv.-No. P 10477The Book of the Dead was in use since the beginning of the New Kingdom with the complete version containing 200 chapters. More frequently however only the most important verses are included. The Book of the Dead was placed with the dead either as a papyrus roll or as single chapters written on linen bindings added to the mummy bindings. The verses served to help the deceased to find his way and to know how to correctly approach the Gods and demons so he could live as a 'transfigured' one among them. Of all chapters no. 125 'the negative confession' is always included; here the dead stands in front of 42 judges and enumerates all sins he did not commit. The scene includes the weighing of the heart in front of Osiris. The heart of the dead is placed on a scale and weight against the 'the truth' in form of the goddess Maat (sometimes depicted as a feather). If he is found justified by Osiris he is welcomed in the netherworld, if found guilty a monster consisting of a mix form made up of crocodile, lion and hippopotamus will devour him. Since for the ancient Egyptians depictions represented reality, the result of this judgement is always shown with a positive result.